First Indigenous American Woman, At A Cabinet-Level Seat -- Fittingly, As Sec. of Interior -- Now Likely To Be Confirmed.

This, despite a smear campaign, using discredited oil and gas industry backed mis-information about fracking, to criticize her nomination. She has now apparently won the support of Sen. Susan Collins (R) -- and that, along with Sen. Manchin's (D), likely means she will sail on through, without additional drama. But the sophistry -- of the GOP Senators controlled by the oil and gas lobby. . . it will never end.

Arizona Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski have not yet said publicly how they plan to vote, but with Collins' nod, the nomination looks to be safe, at 51-49, in any event. From The Guardian (U.K.) reporting, thus:

. . .All Republicans on the committee have received significant campaign contributions from oil and gas political action committees and employees, and some are personally invested in the industry, as the Guardian and the Center for Media and Democracy recently reported.

Haaland, who would be the first Native American cabinet secretary, supports the Green New Deal and opposes fracking on federal land. As secretary of the interior, she would implement Biden’s climate agenda, which, though relatively ambitious, may not go as far as she would prefer.

As they criticized Haaland and Biden’s stance on federal leases, two of the senators cited projected job losses from a ban on federal oil and gas extraction that came from a study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute (API). [Ed. Note: this "study" has been widely discredited.] API is the country’s biggest oil and gas trade association and spent millions of dollars to help elect Republicans to Congress in the 2020 cycle. . . .

Onward, to brighter days -- clearer skies, and fresher waterways. Grinning. . . ever grinning. Thanks, Joe and Kamala!

नमस्ते